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this is very helpful and put me in mind of Billy Waters (King of the Beggars). Details of Waters and other black presences are noted in Black Victorians: Black People in British Art, 1800-1900 edited by Jan Marsh and at http://www.virtualmuseum.info/collections/themes/black_brit/html/ people.html On 7 Jun 2008, at 14:03, SEAN CREIGHTON wrote: > Angela's query triggered a vague memory of a negro sweeper. > > I am sure I recall seeing back in 1994 an image of a London negro road > sweeper in a catalogue of images which included abolition movement > images of pottery, medallions, etc. I cannot recall the publisher, > apart from an inkling that it might have been British Library or > British Museum. Nor can I remember the date it was published - but > probably pre-1990. Does this ring a bell with anyone else? > > So I started websearching and of course as I have tracked through > could Angela be on the trail of Jospeh Jenkins? Here's the sequence of > search findings. > > References a negro crossing sweeper can be seen on: > > > http://www.victorianlondon.org/professions/crossingsweeps.htm > > and > > http://wwwsoc.nii.ac.jp/dickens/etexts/dickens/others/misc/Smith- > Curiosities > > and > > > http://www.thelovelybrothers.co.uk/scamp/mayhew.html > > Two of these contain a reference to a negro sweeper and Waithman's > obelisk erected in the middle of Ludgate Circus. It was removed to > Bartholomew Close in 1951, and around 1975 to nearby Salisbury Square > where it is today. (from > http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/zucconi/biscuit/loony/londonquest/ > londongeometry.htm) > > The obelisk features in the story of the 1848 Chartist demonstration: > http://www.chartists.net/10-April-1848.htm > > The obelisk was built in memory of Robert Waithman. The details of its > erection were recorded in the Gentleman's Magazine of Jan-June 1834 > which has been Google Booked (p. 634) > > Mayhew's sweeper is mentioned in Norma Myers Records reconstructing > the black past. (p.76) > > Mayhew's mention is in Vol 2 of London Labour and London Poor. > > As I continued to track through the web up popped William Wells > Brown's reference to Joseph Jenkins whose jobs included Chelsea > crossing sweeper. > http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2220/is_2_41/ai_56913409 > > For more on Jenkins see: Paul Gilmore. The Genuine Article. p. 189. > Googleised book. > > Is it possible that there were three negro sweepers? The one up to > 1834, Mayhew's and Jenkins?. Or is Jenkins all three, or is Jenkins > also Mayhew's? > > Sean > > > Sean Creighton > Agenda Services: Development & Heritage Projects > History & Social Action Publications > 020 8640 2014 > www.seancreighton.co.uk > Website updated May: Ken v Boris - the London Mayor Election; Ruth > Frow's Memorial Event; Colour Blind? Race & Migration in the North > East since 1945; Is the Water Metering Lobby Unstoppable?; > Miscellaneous history: slavery & abolition, Black & Asian, Vauxhall, > Battersea, freemasonry; labour movement; social & community issues; > miscellaneous; Virgin Trains excels itself >